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Colorado veteran suicide total at record high in 2021

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:25 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Behind all the barbecues is a grim reality. Memorial Day was established in 1966 to honor the nation's military personnel who died while serving. Sadly, veterans are more likely to die by their own hand than in combat, and in Colorado, that number rose in the last year of available data. Census: Colorado among the states with lowest share of kids under 5 years old Veteran suicides happen at higher rates than the general public, about 150% of the national average. It is the second leading cause of death among soldiers under the age of 45, with over 125,000 veteran suicides occurring since 2001. The number of veteran suicides fell in 2020 in the U.S. In Colorado, however, deaths rose to their highest levels on record afterward. There were 248 veteran suicides in 2021, up from 205 the year before. The average annual number has risen 59% since 2010. In 2010, there were 156 veteran suicides in Colorado.As a percentage, veteran suicides are an average 17% of Colorado's ...

New license plate raises money to mitigate wolf-human conflict

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:25 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Gov. Jared Polis signed a new wolf specialty license plate into law, and the money will create new methods of preventing human conflict with gray wolves.House Bill 1265 was signed on Monday and creates the "Born to Be Wild" specialty Colorado license plate. The plate features the classic mountain outline with a black starry night sky and a gray wolf in the middle. Starting soon, you can buy this dino-themed license plate for your car According to the Colorado legislature, the purpose of the plate is to raise funds for nonlethal means of mitigating and preventing human conflict following the law that will reintroduce wolves into the state by the end of 2023. The bill states that Colorado Parks and Wildlife will use the money raised to create programs and training, deploy equipment and technology and support relevant research on cohabiting with the wolves.You can purchase the specialty plate beginning Jan. 1, 2024, by paying an annual fee of $50 that will go to the W...

Jaguars sign ex-Broncos kicker Brandon McManus, waive Riley Patterson

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:25 GMT

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars signed Brandon McManus in hopes of upgrading their special teams Thursday, two days after Denver dropped the veteran kicker and former team captain.The Jaguars waived kicker Riley Patterson to make room on the 90-man roster for McManus, who had been scheduled to count nearly $5 million against Denver's salary cap in 2023.The 31-year-old McManus was the last holdover from the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50. He finished his nine-year career with Denver as the second-leading scorer in team history (946 points). He connected on a franchise-most 42 field goals of 50 yards or longer in the regular season and the playoffs. Brandon McManus is no longer with the Denver Broncos McManus made 223 of 274 field goals in the regular season while hitting 96.9% of his extra points. His combined field-goal percentage (82%) in the regular season and postseason is the second-best mark in team history behind Matt Prater (82.9%).McManus was perfec...

Panthers fan watches team advance to Stanley Cup Final, 27 years later

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:25 GMT

A Florida Panthers fan who witnessed the team advance to the Stanley Cup Final 27 years apart hopes to see them clinch the conference in person.The Panthers reached milestone for a second time after they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in overtime, Wednesday night.“Last night was amazing, that night 27 years ago was amazing, and to share with my family again and my son, it doesn’t get any better,” said Michael Alterman, who attended both Eastern Conference Finals.He was just 15 the first time when his brothers joined him in watching the team board the bus after the win back in 1996. “I got to go to both Eastern Conference Championships,” said Alterman. “I was a 15-year-old, a 16-year-old. That was one of the best nights of my life.”His own son got to accompany him on Wednesday night’s game. “To do that 27 years apart — and this time I have my 6-year-old son with me — to do that and come full circle, it doe...

20-foot sinkhole opens up at parking lot in Ocala

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:25 GMT

OCALA, Fla. (WSVN) — A pipe problem was exposed during a rainy day. Now, engineers are trying to determine what to do next. Part of a parking lot was swallowed by a huge hole, and an expert said it could be the first of many.“That is big, It’s a big hole,” Virginia Hargarten said.Hargarten is a regular customer of a Vitamin Shoppe in Ocala, but on Wednesday, a 20-foot-deep sinkhole stopped her from being able to pick up what she needed.“I feel sorry for the shop owners too,” Hargarten said. They have to be closed.”So what caused this deep problem?“What it looks like is a drainage pipe had failed over time, washed the underlying soil away,” said Darren Park, Ocala Public Works. “Heavy rains from Friday night put a lot of weight in the pipe, which caused the pipe to collapse.”A sink hole, roughly the same size, opened up nearby just a few years ago.Ocala’s Public Works department said the problem is old pipes.“Ov...

2 displaced after fire sparks in Sunrise apartment

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:25 GMT

A family in Sunrise was forced out of their home by fast-moving flames.Sunrise Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the apartment blaze in a second-story unit along the 10000 block of Winding Lake Road, Thursday morning.It’s unclear how the fire started.Volunteers with the American Red Cross are helping two people who lived there, including a child.

Police say shot fired during response to hoax call at St. John’s Prep happened while officer was holstering gun

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:25 GMT

A shot that was fired inside St. John’s Preparatory School in Danvers during an emergency response to a hoax call earlier this week was an accident that happened while a police officer was holstering his gun, town officials said.Officials shared an update on their investigation Thursday a matter of days after the incident at St. John’s Prep on Monday. In their update, officials said police responded within two minutes of an initial report claiming there was a person in a bathroom with a gun on the St. John’s campus. After clearing the bathroom inside the school’s Benjamin Hall, officials said an officer began holstering his gun. “The officer reported that as he did, his index finger was extended along the side of the barrel, which is consistent with his training, and that a secondary piece of equipment interfered with the holstering process, resulting in a single shot being discharged and striking the bathroom tile floor next to the officer’s foot,” officials sa...

Memorial Day weekend travel set to be third-busiest since 2000

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:25 GMT

Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner, and people are ready to hit the road and the skies.AAA reported that 42.3 million Americans plan to travel more than 50 miles from home, which is 2.7 million more than 2022. This is projected to be the third busiest Memorial Day weekend since AAA began tracking holiday travel in 2000.Logan Airport officials want to make sure you’re prepared if you’re traveling by plane. They said passengers can help keep things moving quickly and save time getting through security by arriving two hours early.Officials remind air travelers to have their valid ID ready and to remember that liquids can only be in containers of 3.4 ounces or less.“The further we’ve gotten away from the start of the pandemic, the more and more people are flying,” said TSA New England Spokesperson Dan Velez. “This year, with pretty much all of the COVID pandemic restrictions gone, we’re going to see an influx of people flying who haven’t traveled in quite a bit.”Passengers ...

Thousands of flags dot Boston Common in tribute to fallen service members

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:25 GMT

More than 37,000 United States flags dotted the Boston Common Thursday, representing the thousands of military service members from Massachusetts who sacrificed their lives in defense of the country since the Revolutionary War.Elected officials, military leaders, and families of fallen service members gathered near the Soldiers and Sailors Monument to add 397 more flags to the memorial to represent those who were lost since the 9-11 terrorist attacks.The flags are planted in the hope that they offer a “measure of comfort” to families who can know that “we always remember their service and sacrifice,” said Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund President Thomas Crohan.“To speak their names as a sign of solemn gratitude and our deep respect,” Crohan said before the names of the 397 fallen service members were spoken aloud.Retired Brigadier General Jack Hammond, executive director of Home Base, said Memorial Day is a bittersweet time for service members.“It’s a day of solemn remembrance,” ...

After ‘alarming increase’ in Boston-area roofie reports, Massachusetts looks to give out drink spiking test kits

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:58:25 GMT

After police departments reported an “alarming increase” in date rape drug incidents across the region, Massachusetts legislators are looking to give out drink spiking test kits to bars, restaurants, and nightclubs.Law enforcement in the Boston-area has been sounding the alarm about numerous people reporting they were roofied at local bars. Police have warned people to use the buddy system, cover their drinks, and don’t leave their drinks unattended.“Yet reports of these incidents persist, over and over again,” State Sen. Paul Feeney said from the State House during the budget debate.“We’ve seen an alarming increase in drink spiking incidents at bars, nightclubs, concert venues and even house parties across the Commonwealth,” said Feeney, a Democrat from Foxboro.He proposed a drink spiking prevention and awareness amendment called “Drink Spiking Tests Bulk Purchase Program and Awareness Campaign,” and the amendment passed t...